Many successful TV shows have gotten spinoffs to expand their worlds and the stories of their characters, and The O.C. almost joined this trend, but thankfully, those projects never happened. The O.C. was part of the successful wave of teen dramas in the 2000s, running from 2003 to 2007 for a total of four seasons. Created by Josh Schwartz, The O.C. was set in Newport Beach and followed troubled teen Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie), who was taken in by public defender Sandy Cohen (Peter Gallagher).
Ryan had to adapt to a sudden lifestyle change, going from an environment of poverty and abuse to the privileged world of Newport’s high-class society. Ryan quickly bonded with Sandy’s son, Seth (Adam Brody), and later got close to the Cohens’ neighbor and family friend, Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton). Of course, the world of the wealthy wasn’t exempt from drama, and Ryan and company got involved in different types of conflicts. The O.C. was a big hit, so much so that it almost got three spinoffs, but it’s better off without them.
The O.C. Spinoff Atomic County Was Based On Seth’s Comic Book
Atomic County Played A Role In Seth’s Story
When thinking of a spinoff of The O.C., it’s natural to think it could follow what happened to Ryan, Summer, Seth, and Taylor after the events of the original show, but the first spinoff went on a completely different route. Instead of focusing on the characters introduced in The O.C., the spinoff Atomic County was all about the comic book of the same name created by Seth Cohen and Zach Stevens (Michael Cassidy). The Atomic County comic book was developed throughout The O.C. season 2, with Seth and Zach initially being friends and ending as rivals due to Summer, who dated both.
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The concept of The O.C.’s Atomic County was a fictionalized portrayal of Orange County, where its teenagers had superpowers. As such, the main characters were inspired by those close to Seth and Zach, with the most notable character being Little Miss Vixen, who was based on Summer. Zach only stayed for one season, as he left Newport to work with George Lucas on Atomic County, while Seth stayed and got back together with Summer. After that, Atomic County was only mentioned sporadically in the rest of the show.
Atomic County was an animated adventure series, comprised of 14 animated shorts, running two minutes each.
However, the team behind The O.C. saw potential in Atomic County and picked it for a spinoff series… with a twist. Created by The O.C. writer John Stephens and artist Eric Wright, Atomic County was an animated adventure series, comprised of 14 animated shorts, running two minutes each. This is the only The O.C. spinoff that was properly developed, but it has been mostly forgotten by fans of the show as it didn’t add anything to the main show and its characters, but it was a fun look at the creations of Seth and Zach.
The O.C. Almost Had A Spinoff Focused On Kaitlin Cooper
Kaitlin Cooper Was Marissa’s Younger Sister
After Atomic County, the team behind The O.C. shifted its focus to a recurring character as a potential lead of a spinoff series. In 2005, it was revealed that Schwartz had scrapped plans for a new TV show in favor of a The O.C. spinoff focused on Marissa’s younger sister, Kaitlin (Willa Holland) (via DigitalSpy). Kaitlin made her debut in The O.C. season 1, though she was only seen at events with her family or returning from riding her pony. After the scandal of her father’s scams and her mother’s second marriage, Kaitlin was sent to a boarding school.
Kaitlin was originally played by Shailene Woodley in The O.C. season 1, but was recast for seasons 3 and 4.
Kaitlin returned in season 3 but went back to school before coming back home for good in the season finale. Kaitilin stayed throughout season 4, where she had a bigger role, especially in her mother’s love life. Kaitlin’s spinoff series would have followed her time in boarding school and was projected for a January 2006 premiere, but that never happened. In an interview with What’s Alan Watching?, Schwartz revealed that discussions about the Kaitlin spinoff ended when the president of Fox Broadcasting Company, Gail Berman, moved to Paramount.
The O.C.’s Prequel Spinoff Would Have Linked To Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl Was Also Developed By Josh Schwartz
Perhaps the most intriguing of the potential The O.C. spinoffs is the prequel one that would have linked to Gossip Girl. Also developed by Josh Schwartz and based on Cecily von Ziegesar’s series of novels of the same name, Gossip Girl was set in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where it followed a group of privileged teenagers attending a prestigious high school. The group was led by on/off best friends Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) and Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), and their private lives were often exposed by a mysterious blogger known as “Gossip Girl.”
“Valley Girls” is the season 2 episode that was supposed to serve as the pilot episode for the series of the same name.
In 2009, a Gossip Girl spinoff was in development, with CW considering making a backdoor pilot. The result was “Valley Girls”, the season 2 episode that was supposed to serve as the pilot episode for the series of the same name. “Valley Girls” had flashbacks to the 1980s that followed a young Lily (Brittany Snow), focusing on the events that led to her first arrest. The idea was for Valley Girls to connect to some of the younger versions of the adult characters in The O.C. through the younger versions of those in Gossip Girl.
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Ultimately, and as well-received as the “Valley Girls” episode was, the series never happened. CW’s fall line-up didn’t have many open spots at the time, and there were other, a lot stronger shows with actual pilot episodes competing with Valley Girls. In the end, Melrose Place (2009), The Beautiful Life, and The Vampire Diaries took those spots, and Valley Girls was canceled.
The O.C. Got 2 International Adaptations
No Spinoffs, But 2 International Adaptations
The O.C. didn’t get any proper spinoff shows, but it did get two international adaptations. First was the Turkish version, Medcezir, which aired on Star TV from 2013 to 2015, for a total of 38 episodes. In 2016, The O.C. got a Thai version titled City of Light: The O.C. Thailand, which aired from March to May on One 31 for 21 episodes. Although they didn’t have the same success as the original show, they further proved how massive the success of The O.C. was.
Why The O.C. Is Better Off Without Spinoffs
The O.C. Doesn’t Need Any Expansions
As interesting as it could have been to follow Kailtin through her boarding school years and see what the younger versions of the adult characters were up to in the 1980s (along with Gossip Girl’s Lily), The O.C. isn’t a show that needs expansions. The O.C. gave a full and satisfying ending to its main characters, and there really isn’t anything left that could be explored in a spinoff, whether past or future things.
One or more spinoffs could have also damaged The O.C.’s legacy if they didn’t match or surpass the quality of the main show, as it set a pretty high bar. At the time of writing, there are no signs of The O.C. possibly joining the trend of reboots and sequels, and hopefully, it will continue that way.
Sources: DigitalSpy, What’s Alan Watching?
7/10
Release Date
2003 – 2007-00-00
Network
FOX
Showrunner
Josh Schwartz
Directors
Josh Schwartz
Writers
Josh Schwartz
